Machine for operating upon hides, skins, and leather



Aug. 12, 1930. K. w. KOENiGER 1,772,775

SKINS, AND LEATHER Filed June 14, 1927 IAGHINE FOR OPERATING UPON H'I EDES,

IN VEN TOR.

Aug. 12, 1930. K. w. KOENIGER 1,772,775

CHINE FOR OPERATING UPON HIDES, SKINS, AND LEATHER Filed June 14, 1927 4 Shoots-Sheet 2 2 .m "w Ill W |u R 02 ofl m -L I 1 u N w e: dd. 0 E Q: .T ,QZIV ll... m: m a: m: m allllll! III r 1 92 as. N 8 mi mm. m5 w 1 l VIII I Q. 2 I h" (x M. Q: on. Q2 O n O 2: I a 1 oz :2 on lllllllllllllll 1.. o I I F m I Mm 2: a 2 9... II I or wt 1 am 3 mr n \N 3 Q m oh: Q r% m Q. m qhu 9M ON ON .rlLflln Q .NQOQ QQr l. 1| a a? rm wnHA do rm. w: 0|. N6 l| Aug. 12, 1930. .K. w. KOENIGER 7 CHINE FOR OPERATING UPON HIDES, II 1S, AND LEATHER Filed June 14, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR Patented Aug. 12, 1930 PATENT OFFICE KARL W. KOENIGER, F ORANGE, NEW JERSEY MACHINE FOROPERATING UPON HQIDES, SKINS, AND LEATHER Application filed June 14,

T his invention relates to machines for operating upon hides, skins, leather, and other similar pieces of work and is illustrated as embodied in:a machine for putting out skins and otherlightweight pieces of leather upon worksupports where the pieces of work may be allowed to dry input-out stretched condition. It is to be understood, however, that the invention and various important features thereof may have other applications and uses.

Ithas been the common practice for many yearsin certain leather manufacturing plants toput-out pieces ofleather, such as calf skins,

upon smooth supporting surfaces providedby stretcher boards made of wood, beaverboard, or other suitable material. Preliminarily to the putting-out operation each piece of leather is'dipped into a weak solution of a suitable adhesive substance so that upon putting-out a piece ofleather upon the smooth surface of astretcher board itadheres to the surface of the board and remains in the spread outcondition obtained as a result of the putting-out operations. After. a piece of leather has been put-out uponone side of a stretcher board the latter is turned over'and a second piece is put-out upon the other side of the board which is then stood up in asuitable 3.0 room to dry the pieces of leather thereon.

In this way all of the stretch oft-he skin secured by the putting-out operation is retained V in the'drying of the skin. The operation of putting-out the skins or other similar pieces of work upon stretcher boards iscarried out by handeoperated slicker blades while the workman is on hisknees,part of the timeat least, upon the work itself. Furthermore, the stretcher boards which are large and un e wieldly are constantly handled in placing them for the reception of work and in transporting them to'and from the drying room; It will be readily understood that these operations involve severe manual labor under especially disagreeable conditions.

' Objects :ofthis invention are to eliminate hand'labor inputting-out and spreading operations on skins andvother similar pieces of work andin the transportin and storing of 9 the stretcher frames, and to provide for 1927. Serial No. 198,756.

quantity production while maintaining a high standard of excellence and uniformity in the Work produced.

To this endand in accordance with important features of the invention, the illustrated machine-is provided with means for carrying work supports, with-pieces of work placed thereon, to suitable work spreading and stretching means adapted to perform putting-cut operations and subsequently presenting the work supports at a discharge station from which they may be carried to any suitable place .for drying of the pieces of work on-their supports. Conveniently the means which carries the work supports to the spreading and .stretching means is arranged to present them progressively to the spreading' and stretching means and to deliverjthe work supports one at a time to astorage mechanism upon which they are stored side by side P and where they remain until the pieces of work have dried. In the construction shown, the spreading and stretching means comprises a pair of bladed putting-out cylinders spaced to operate upon opposite sides of each of a vplurality of work supports detachably carried by a conveyor mechanism which later delivers each work support in turn toaa second conveyor having a capacity sufficient for several hours operation of the putting-out means. Subsequently, the dried piece of work is'stripped from its work support and the latter with a fresh piece of work spread thereon by'hand is re-engaged with the conveyor meanswhich carries it to the putting-out means and then tothe-storage conveyor, thus repeating the operation.

Ihese and other features of the invention will now be described in detail and pointed Fig. 5 is a View of the mechanism shown in Fig. 4 looking from the left in the latter figure;

Fig. 6 is a detail view of a portion of a work support conveyor chain showing a pocket for detachably supporting a work support;

Fig. 7 is a view of the part shown in Fig. 6 looking from the right in said figure; and

Fig. 8 is a view of a storage conveyor provided with a driving means independent of that of the rest of the machine.

In the illustrated machine which is designed for operating on hides, skins and pieces of leather, there is provided a large number of work supports 10 each of which may be readily attached to, and as readily detached from, a conveyor mechanism in the machine comprising chains 12. By thus providing a large number of work supports some of them may be utilized to support pieces of work while the latter are being operated upon, while others of the work supports are stored to permit the pieces of work carried thereby to dry. During a putting-out operation, a piece of work is spread out in stretched condition and operated upon in such intimate contact with surfaces of a work support that, if undisturbed, it will remain in spread out stretched condition while it is drying upon the work support. If, as stated, a large number of work supports 10 are provided, it is clear that many of the supports with pieces of work thereon may be stored in a suitable drying room to permit drying of the work while other work supports upon which pieces of work have already dried are being freedfrom the dried work, and are having fresh work spread out thereon by hand, and are being inserted into the machine by proper engagement With the conveyor chains 12, as will hereinafter be described.

As, illustrated, the conveyor mechanism for moving work supports 10 in succession past a putting-out mechanism hereinafter described comprises a pair of endless chains 12 each arranged in engagement with idler sprocket'wheels 14, 16 and 18 (Fig. 1) and also with a driven sprocket wheel 20. Each chain 12 is provided at suitable intervals with pocket-shaped hooks 22 (Figs. 1, 2, 6 and 7) sch hook being pivotally connected by a pivot bolt 2 1 (Figs. 6 and 7) to one of the links 26 of the chain 12 as most clearly disclosed in Fig. 6. It is to be understood that the hooks 22 are disposed in pairs in horizontal alinement with each other on the two chains 12 so that a work support 10 having its spindle ends 28 engaged in the pockets of a pair of the hooks 22 will be evenly supported with the axis of the spindle in a horizontal plane. Upon inspection of Fig. 1 of the drawings it will be observed that, due to the pivot bolts 24, the work supports 10 hang vertically irrespective of their location during the movement of the conveyor chains along both horizontal and vertical paths.

The putting-out mechanism referred to earlier in the specification comprises a pair of bladed cylinders 36 one of which is shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings while both of the bladed cylinders 36 are indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings where they are shown mounted upon spindles 38 carried by bell crank levers 40, each of the latter being pivoted to the frame of the machine by a pivot pin 42. For yieldingly pressing the bladed cylinders 36 toward each other, each bell crank lever a0 carries an adjustable weight 44. It will be readily understood that as a work support 10 is carried upwardly between the bladed cylinders 36 the latter will be forced apart to permit passage of the work support 10, the weights 44: being so adjusted as to cause sufficient pressure of the cylinders 36 on the work carried by the work support 10 as to insure proper operation of these bladed cylinders. Operation of the cylinders 36 will, perhaps, be more clearly understood unon reference to Fig. 2 where an upper pair of cylinders 16 are shown engaged with a piece of work on a support 10 in a manner exactl similar to the operation of the lower pair of cylinders 36. Upon inspection of Fig. 1 it will be seen that the upper cylinders 16 are mounted similarly to the lower cylinders 36, being supported by bell crank levers 48 pivoted by pins 50 to a stationary part of the frame and having each a weight 52 adjustable upon one arm of the bell crank l8 to predetermine the pressure of the bladed cylinder 46 upon a piece of work carried by the table 10, it being clear that the bladed cylinders 46 are supported in the bell cranks 48 each by a spindle 54. Each of the bladed cylinders 36 and l6 comprises a plurality of helically arranged putting-out blades 56, the blades being arranged to extend helically in opposite directions from a median plane of the cylinder, as most clearly disclosed in Figs. 2- and 8.

Because of this arrangement of the blades they perform not only a putting-out operation, by which excess moisture is removed from the piece of work, but they serve also to spread a piece of leather in opposite directions from a median vertical line, thereby putting the piece of leather in a spread out, stretched condition and in firm contact with the smooth surface of the work support 10 in a manner that will be readily understood by those skilled in the art. If the piece of leather before being placed upon one of the work supports 10 is dipped into an adhesive solution or into a bath of oil it will thereby be caused to adhere more firmly to the surface of the work support so that it will remain in spreadout, stretched condition on the work support while it is drying. In certain classes of work it is not necessary to ness to the surface of the work support when it has been put-out properly'by' bladed cylinders which operate not only toexpel the excess moisture from the leather but also to remove air from between the leather and the surface of the work supportso that the pressure of the-atmosphere upon the leather is sufficientto cause itto adhere during" the dry ing operation. If the piece of leather beingv operated upon be irregular in outline and provided with shank 'portionsit .may be desirable, in order to insure proper smoothing out of the shanks, to provide short, obliquely placed bladed'cylinders (not shown) for operating upon the shank portions, the said obliquely placed cylinders being adjustable so that the median line of each cylinder may be properly positioned with respect to the median line of theshank portion of the skin, all as disclosed in United States Letters Patent No.;978,318, granted Dec. 13, 1910, upon application of A, M; Marx.

Power means is provided for rotating the bladed cylinders 36, thesaid means comprising a sprocket 60 on main shaft 62 around which extends a chain 64 which also passes arounda second sprocket 66 secured to the spindle shaft 38 of the rear bladed cylinder 36 for driving the latter inthe direction of the arrow in Fig. 1. Securedupona stub shaft 68 isa gear wheel 70 constantly in mesh with a gear wheel 72-onshaft 62. Fastened securely to the same shaft 68 as the gear 70 is a sprocket (not shown) around which passes a. chain 76 which also engages with a sprocket wheel 7 8 fixedly secured to the spindle shaft 38 of the front bladed. cylinder 36, this latter bladed cylinder being driven in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1. It will be clear-that as one of the work supports 10 passes up between the bladed cylinders: 36 the latter are rotating to carry the blades downwardly over the surface of tne work, thereby expressing the moisture from the work progressively during the travelof the work supportupwardly so that'all portions of thework are finally operated upon. At their other ends the spindle shafts .38 areeach provided with a sprocket wheel 80 (Figs. 1 and 3) about each of which passesa sprocket chain 82. At its upper turn each sprocket chain 82 passes over a sprocket 8 1 fixedlysecured to one of the spindle shafts 54. Itwill be readily understood that the upper bladed cylinders &6 are thus driven from the lower bladed cylinders '36'and that the cylinder 46 directly above the corresponding bladed cylinder below is operated to turn in the same direction 'so-that these cylinders a6also operate to move their blades downwardly over the surface of the work as the latter is moved upbetween them on one of the'work supports 10. I I

For drivingthe driven sprocket 20 of each of the conveyor chains 12 there is provided a gear wheel fixedly secured to a stub shaft 92, gear .90 being constantly in mesh with a pinion 94 fixedly secured to a shaft 96. This shaft carries a sprocket wheel 98 around which passes a driving chain 100 which, at its lower turn, passes around a sprocket 102 fixedly secured to the stub sha-ft68. While the gear wheel 90 is on the outside of the frame of the machine, thesprocket wheel20 is at the otherend of the shaft 92 upon the inside of the frame, as will be clear from .an inspection of Figs, 1 and 2 of the drawings which show all of the sprockets 14, 16, 18 and 20 upon the inside of the corresponding frame member 104 of the machine frame.

For receiving the work supports 10 from theflconveyor chains 12 and storing them while the pieces of leather dry thereon there is provided a storage conveyor mechanism, indicated generallyby the reference character 110. As shown, this conveyor mechanism comprises a pair of conveyor chains 112 each of which passes around a sprocket wheel 114 supported by a short shaft 116 journaled in bearings provided by a frame member 118 supported in turn by bars such as that shown at 120 adapted to be fixedly secured, for example, to the timbers of the ceiling of the room in which the machine is being used. .7

As a part of this frame work comprising the bars 118 and 120, there are arranged horizontal trough-like members 122m which the upper run of the conveyor chains 112 are received andsupported, the purpose of the trough-like members 122 being to afford sufficient support to-the chains 112 since the later should function as a conveyor mechanism and not as the ultimate support for the relatively heavy work supports 10. However, the troughs 122 are so shallow that the chains .112 project -aibove the sides of the trough to engage with and support the work support carrying spindles 28 whereby the Work supports 10 are carried along in spaced relationto each otheruntil the given storage the links of the chains 112-may each: be provided.- with "a notch to ensure that the supports 10 will be moved along the storage coni jwhich engagewith tracks 132 on the floor of the room so that the machine may be readily shifted from one storage conveyor to another.

Means is conveniently provided for transferring the work supports 10 from the conveyor chains 12 to tlieconveyor chains 112.

As shown, thismeans comprises a pair of scalloped wheel's supported at the ends of arms 142 each'pivoted upon the stub shaft conveyor 110 is completely filled. If desired 116 journaled in a supporting bracket 143 on the frame 118. To the other end of a shaft 144 which fixedly carries the wheel is fixedly secured a pinion 146 (Figs. 1, 4 and 5) which is constantly in mesh with a pinion 148 upon a stub shaft 150 carried by the arm 142, pinion 148 being constantly in mesh with a pinion 152 fixedly secured to shaft 111'; which also carries the sprocket wheel 114 that drives the chain 112. Hence, each scalloped wheel 140 is driven by the train of gears just described to turn in the same direction as the corresponding sprocket wheel 114. When the arms 142, one on eachside of the frame 1.18 are swung in a counterclockwise direction, in Fig. 1, about the supporting shaft 116, the scalloped wheels 140 may be located in position to engage with the spindle ends 28 of a work support 10 as the latter is descending with the chains 12 in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1. Since the hooks 2 on the chains 12 open upwardly the work supports are lifted out of the pockets of the hooks and are carried by the scalloped wheels 140 and deposited upon the chains 112. For holding the arms 142 in the operative position for the scalloped wheels 140, each arm is provided with a projecting stop member 156 (Fig. which engages the bracket 143. After the storage conveyor chains 112 have been suitably filled with work supports 10, the arms 142 may be moved clockwise around the supporting shafts 16 by depressing a handle lever 160 fixedly secured to its corresponding arm 142, until a stop 162 on the handle lever engages with the bracket 143 on the frame member 118. In this position of the arms 142. the scalloped wheels 140 are removed from operative position and the machine may then be moved along its tracks 132 for location opposite another storage conveyor.

Preferably, and as shown, power means is provided for drivingthe storage conveyor chains 112, the said means comprising a pulley secured to the shaft 116 about which passes a belt 172, indicated in dotted lines on Fig. 1, which in turn passes over a pulley 174 secured to a shaft 176 carried by a bracket 178 extending out from the frame of the machine. The shaft 176 carries also a pulley 180 about which passes a belt 182 driven from a pulley (not shown) fixedly secured to the shaft 62. In this construction the belt 172 may be readily engaged with and as readily disengaged from the pulley 17 4, thus permitting the machine to be moved along to another storage conveyor mechanism. In Fig. 8 of the drawings there is shown an alternative arrangement for furnishing power to the storage conveyor mechanism 110 which consists of a belt passing around a pulley 192 at the far end of the conveyor, the said belt 190 being driven from a pulley 194 which receives power from an electric motor diagrammatically indicated at 196.

In operating the machine shown in the drawings, a work support 10 is engaged with a pair ofsupporting hooks 22 on the chains 12, a piece of work such as a skin or a split from a hide having first been spread by hand over the upper curved surface of the work support. Since the chains 12 travel at a relatively slow rate, a work support 10 may be engaged with a pair of supporting hooks 22 while the machine is running. As the work support travels up between the bladed cylinders 36, the piece of work is spread out on both sides of the work support through the operation of the putting-out blades 56 which not only remove excess moisture from the wet leather but spread and stretch the piece of leather in opposite directions from a vertical median plane of the work support. For insuring the desired putting-out and stretching of the piece of leather and also firm application of the leather to the surfaces of the work support the latter is passed through a second set of bladed cylinders 46. As the work support with the piece of work thus spread out thereon is descending at the right side of the machine in Fig. 1, it is lifted from the pair of hooks 22 by means of the scalloped wheels 140 and deposited upon the storage conveyor chains 112. This latter conveyor mechanism is driven at a considerably slower rate than the chains 12 so that the supports 10 are spaced rather closely to each other, thereby insuring storage space for a considerable number of work supports 10 upon each one of the storage conveyor mechanisms 110. After one of the storage conveyor mechanisms has been filled the machine is shifted to a second storage mechanism and the operations just described are repeated.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins, leather and other similar pieces of work, means for treating a piece of work, a support for receiving a piece of work to be treated, means movable to present the work support with a piece of work thereon progressively to the work treating means, means for operating the work treating means during movement of the work support there by, and means for detachably connecting the work support to the support presenting means so that the work support may be readily removed after the work has been treated and while the support presenting means continues in motion.

2. In a machine for operating upon hides. skins, leather and other similar pieces of work, a plurality of work supporting members, means for treating successive portions of a piece of work while supported upon a its surface. of one of the members, and means for detachably receiving the members and presenting each of them progressively to the work treating means, said last-recited means being arranged to continue in motion to present the members at a discharge station where they may be removed with the pieces of work thereon.

In a machinefor operating upon hides, skins, leather and other similar pieces of Work, a plurality of work supporting members, means for spreading a piece of work out upon a surface ofe'ach of the members, and continuously moving means for detachably receiving the members and presenting them and the piecesoi workthereon to the spreading means for spreading out thework, said last-recitedmeans being arranged to present the members at a discharge station Where they may be removed so that the pieces of Work be allowed to dry thereon.

4e. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins, leather and other similar pieces of work, a plurality of work supporting members, means for spreading a piece of Work upon each supporting member, means for presenting each of the supporting members and the pieces of Work thereon progressively to the spreading means, and'means automatically operative for removing the members from the presenting means and for storing the supporting members with pieces of Work spread thereon in closely-spaced relation to each other to permit'the pieces of work to dry each on its supporting member. a

5. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins, leather and other similar pieces of Work, a plurality of supporting members upon each of which a piece of Work may be supported in extended condition, means for treating a piece of Work upon each supporting member continuously moving,means for presenting the supporting members and the pieces of work thereon successively to'the treating means, and means arranged, to operate in timed relation to the presenting means for receiving the supporting members with pieces of work thereon one at a time from the presenting means and storing them.

6. Ina machine for operating upon hides, skins, leather and other similar pieces of work, a plurality of supporting members upon each of which a piece oi Work may be supported in extended condition, means for spreading out a piece of 'work upon each supporting member, means for presenting the supporting members and the pieces of work thereon to the spreading means, said spreading means being operativeduring-relative movement betweenthe spreading and the presenting means, and means for receivingthe supporting, members with pieces of work spread-out thereon and storing them to permit the pieces of Work to dry (all the Sflppoi'ting members,

7 In "a'machine for operating upon hides,

skins, leather and other similar piecesof work, atplurality of work supporting members, means for spreading a piece of work upon each supporting member, a continuous 'ly moving and endless conveyor mechanism for presenting the supporting members and the pieces of Workthereon to thespreading means, and a supportifor a plurality of the work supporting members arranged to receive the members from the conveyor mechanism.

8. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins, leather and other similar pieces of Work, plurality of WOIk supporting members, means for spreading a piece of Work simultaneously upon both sides of each supporting member, conveyor means for present ing the worksupporting members and the pieces of work thereon to the spreading means during operation of the latter, and means arranged to move in timed relation to the conveyor means for storing the members with pieces of work spread thereon to permit the pieces or work to dry on their supporting members. c

9. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins, leather and other similar pieces of work, a plurality fofwork supporting members, means for spreading a piece of work.

upon each supporting member, an endless travelling conveyor mechanism for presenting the supporting members and the pieces of work thereon to the spreading means, and a conveyor movable in timed relation to the conveyor mechanism for receiving the supporting members from the conveyor mechanism.

10. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins, leather and other similar pieces of work, a plurality of Work supporting members, means for spreading a piece of work upon each supporting member, a conveyor mechanism for presenting the supporting members and the pieces of Work thereon to the spreading means, and a conveyor for receiving the supporting members from the con veyor mechanism, said conveyor being movable at a slower rate than the conveyor mech anism to receive the members in closely spaced relation to each other and operative to store the work supporting members from the con veyor mechanism to the conveyor.

12. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins, leather and other similar pieces of work, a plurality of work supporting members, means for spreading a piece of work simultaneously upon both sides of each supporting member, a conveyor mechanism for presenting each of the supporting members with pieces of Work thereon progressively to the spreading means, a conveyor for receiving the supporting members and storing them while the pieces of work dry in spreadout conditions on the members, and means for transfe ring the work supporting members from the conveyor mechanism to the conveyor.

13. In av machine for operating upon hides, skins, leather and other similar pieces of work, a plurality of work supporting members, means for putting-out and spreading a piece of work upon a surface of each of the members in turn, and a conveyor mechanism for detachably receiving the members in succession and movable past the puttingout and spreading means for presenting the members and the pieces of Work thereon successively to the putting-out and spreading means, said conveyor mechanism subsequently presenting each member'in turn at a dis- -it ma be removed s that the piece of Work may be allowed to dry thereon. a

14. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins, leather and other similar pieces of work, a plurality of work supporting members, means for putting-out and spreading a piece of work upon a, surface of each of the members in turn, conveyor mechanism for detachably receiving the members in succession and continuously movable for presenting the members and the pieces of work thereon successively to the putting-out and spreading means, said conveyor mechanism subsequently presenting each member in turn at a discharge station, a storage conveyor for receiving the members in turn at the discharge station, and means for transferring the members successively from the conveyor mechanism to the storage conveyor without intervention by the operator.

15. In a machine for operating upon hides skins, leather and other similar pieces of work, a plurality of supporting members upon each of which a piece of work may be supported in extended condition, means for putting-out and spreading a piece of work upon each supporting member in succession, means for moving the supporting'members and the pieces of work thereon past the putting-out and spreading means during the operatlon of the latter, each supporting member being detachably connected to the moving.

- means, and means for receiving the supportmg members with pieces of Work spread out thereon and storing them to permit the pieces of work to dry on the supporting members.

16. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins, leather and other similar pieces of work, a plurality of work supporting members, means for putting-out and spreading a piece of work upon each supporting member in turn, means for supporting a plurality of the supporting members and presenting them and the pieces of work thereon in succession to the putting-out and spreading means, and means arranged to receive the supporting members from the putting-out and spreading means, for storing the supporting members with pieces of work spread thereon in closelyspaced relation to each other to permit the pieces of work LO dry each on its supporting member.

17. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins, leather and other similar pieces of work, a plurality of work supporting members, means for putting-out and spreading a piece of work upon each supporting member in turn, an endless conveyor means for supporting a plurality of the work supporting members and the pieces of work thereon and presenting them in succession to the puttingout' and spreading means, and means arranged to receive the supporting members from the conveyor means and to store the members with piecesof work spread thereon to permit the pieces of work to dry on their supporting members.

18. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins, leather and other similar pieces of work, a plurality of work supporting memhere, means for putting-out and spreading a piece of work upon each supporting member, a conveyor mechanism for moving the supporting members and the pieces of work thereon in succession past the putting-out and spreading means during operation of the latter, and a support for a plurality of the work supporting members arranged to receive the members from the conveyor mechanism during movement of the latter.

19. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins, leather and other similar pieces of work, means for treating a piece of work, a support for receiving a piece of work, eonveyor chains for moving the work support and the pieces of Work thereon past the treating means during operation of the latter, and means for detachably connecting the work support to the conveyor chains comprising pockets in the chains so that the work support may be removed after the Work has been treated.

'20; In a machine for operating upon hides. skins, leather and other similar pieces of work, means for spreading a piece of work out in extended condition, a support for receiving a piece of work and supporting it in .spread out condition, conveyor chains for moving the work support and the pieces of it! as work thereon past the spreading means during operation of the latter, and means for detachably connecting the work support to the conveyor chains comprising pockets in the chains so that the work support may be removed after the work has been spread out thereon to permit the piece of Work to dry before the work support is again employed in the machine.

21. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins, leather and other similar pieces of work, a plurality of work supporting members, a plurality of bladed members for putting-outand spreading a piece of work upon each supporting member, a conveyor mecha nism for moving the supporting members and the pieces of work thereon in succession past the putting-out and spreading members during operation of the latter, and a conveyor arranged to move in timed relation to the conveyor mechanism for receiving the work supporting members from the conveyor mechanism and storing said members to permit the pieces of work to dry thereon;

22. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins, leather and other similar pieces of work, a plurality of work supporting members, a plurality of bladed members spaced to operate upon opposite sides of each of the work supporting members for putting-out and spreading a piece of work upon each supporting member, a conveyor mechanism for moving the supporting members and the pieces of work thereon in succession past the putting-out and spreading members, and a conveyor movable in timed relation to the conveyor mechanism for receiving the work supporting members from the conveyor mechanism and storing said members to permit the pieces of work to dry thereon.

23. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins, leather and other similar pieces of work, a plurality of work supporting members, a plurality of bladed members for putting-out and spreading a piece of Work upon each supporting member, a conveyor mechanism for moving the supporting members and the pieces of Work thereon in succession past the putting-out and spreading members, a conveyor for receiving the work supporting members and supporting them While the pieces of work dry in spread out condition on the members, and members arranged to operate in timed relation to the conveyor mechanism for transferring the work supporting members from the conveyor mechanism to the conveyor.

24. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins, leather and other similar pieces of work, a pluralityof work supporting members, a plurality of bladed members for putting-out and spreading a piece of Work upon each supporting member, a conveyor mechanism comprising chains for moving the sup ing members and supporting them while the pieces of work dry in spread out condition on the members, and scalloped wheels for transferring the work supporting members from the conveyor mechanism to the conveyor.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

KARL W. KOENIGER.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,772,775. Granted August 12, 1930, to

KARL W. KOENIGER.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 3, line 103, for the word "later" read latter; page 5, line 41, claim 5, after the word "member" insert a comma, and line 4-2, after the word "moving" strike out the comma; page 6, lines 117 and 130, claims 19 and 20, for "pieces" read piece; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 21st day of October, A. D. 1930.

M. J. Moore, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents, 

